Sports and Youth Minister, Engineer Uchizi Mkandawire has called for increased investment in grassroots sports mainly in football to ensure the development of young talent across the country is achieved.
He was speaking on Monday, March 31, 2025 at Kalanga School ground where he was the Guest of Honour at the launch of "K10 million Dr Lazarus Chakwera Football Trophy"
Reflecting on his childhood experiences, Mkandawire highlighted how, despite limited opportunities, school sports were taken seriously and played a vital role in community life.
"At the time we grew up, school sports were something that was taken a bit seriously, even though it didn't send people too far. We used to really enjoy it, and I remember that in the village where I was born and grew up, we had the inter-school at one place.
He recalled how multiple communities came together for inter-school competitions, with only pupils from Standard 6 and above qualifying to travel to the next location. For younger students, reaching Standard 6 was a milestone that granted them the opportunity to participate in these much-anticipated sporting events.
However, despite the enthusiasm for sports, the conditions were poor. Athletes competed on uneven pitches, often running barefoot on tracks riddled with holes. Mkandawire noted that, while the quality of sports infrastructure was lacking, the passion for participation never wavered.
"As bad as the pitches were, we enjoyed being there. Athletes were running barefooted. Sometimes, the tracks were undulating, with holes, and you'll run and fall—not because you don't know how to run, but because of the bad nature of the surface. But we did it for the fun of it, much more like the recreation of it," he explained.
At this juncture, the Minister lauded President Dr Lazarus Chakwera for bringing back the good memories of sports in the country with various initiatives including the K10 million Dr Lazarus Chakwera Trophy which he said will motivate athletes in the society to compete for the prize.
He has since stressed the need for his ministry to intervene to nurture young athletes from an early stage.
On politics, the Minister said President Dr Lazarus Chakwera is set to retain his seat in September because he has demonstrated that he is man of the people who has dedicated his life to serve the country without looking where someone is coming from.
"In the history of Mwanza West constituency, it is only the MCP government that has thought of putting bituminized road from Mwanza to Thambani, constructing school blocks, improving primary healthcare outreach systems, police houses and units," said Mkandawire who is also Second Deputy Secretary General of MCP.
Also speaking at the same venue was the Deputy Minister of Transport Baba Steven Malondera who emphasized that for every good politician, one must also be a sportsperson because sports teaches valuable moral lessons of accepting defeat and victory.
"We have the monumental task of restoring Malawi's football standards. The shambles that is Malawi sports today is completely unacceptable and I know that my good friend of mine, the Minister of Sports Uchizi Mkandawire is working hard to change the status quo so that in the near future the Flames can become a continental football powerhouse," he said who is also National Youth Director of the ruling Malawi Congress Party-MCP.
He has however assured the people of Mwanza that government will continue to provide essential services including relief food.
In her remarks, Deputy Minister of Local Government Unity and Culture Joyce Chitsulo thanked President Dr Lazarus Chakwera for his unwavering support towards sports development in her constituency and other notable developments.
She has since pledged to work tooth and nail to make sure that Chakwera wins in September polls.
Speaking earlier, Senior Traditional Authority Govati "endorsed" President Dr Lazarus Chakwera and Joyce Chitsulo for the development projects the two have constructed to his area including the roads, clinics, bridges, police houses among others.